Wrexham FC 0 Liverpool XI 0: Mark Currie's verdict

THERE may have been no goals at the Racecourse last night, but there was no shortage of entertaining and competitive football for Wrexham FC fans getting their first glimpse of the club’s summer signings.

THERE may have been no goals at the Racecourse last night, but there was no shortage of entertaining and competitive football for Wrexham FC fans getting their first glimpse of the club’s summer signings.

In their first home outing of a crowded pre-season schedule of friendlies, the Dragons gave as good as they got against a young and cosmopolitan Liverpool side that included a fair number of youth internationals from across Europe

Racecourse boss Dean Saunders sprang a surprise by giving a start to new Jay Harris, who was involved in the same betting scandal as Wrexham striker Andy Mangan when the pair were team-mates at Accrington Stanley.

And Dragons manager Saunders must have been impressed, offering the 23-year-old midfielder, who is looking to get his career back on track, a one year deal after the match.

There was a minute’s silence before the kick-off in memory of former Racecourse manager Ken Barnes, who died last week, and the home side wore black armbands.

And it was Wrexham who made the first chance after two minutes, Harris whipping in a first-time cross that was headed wide at the near post by Andy Morrell.

An even better opportunity went begging four minutes later, Nat Knight-Percival dispossessing a defender to pick out an unmarked Kevin Gall 10 yards from goal, but the winger blazed the ball high and wide.

It might have proved costly when Liverpool broke through Jesus Fernandez and he picked out Nikola Saric, who side-stepped Frank Sinclair before firing in a shot that Chris Maxwell saved with his legs.

Neil Ashton then sold Maxwell short with a poor back-header that was intercepted by Toni Silva, but the keeper stood up well to turn the winger’s shot for a corner.

Wrexham were being made to work hard in closing down their opponents and denying them space to play and it was encouraging to see Mangan and Morrell also doing their share of the donkey work.

But they could ill-afford to squander what hard-earned chances came their way, Sinclair the culprit five minutes before the break when he headed an Ashton free kick over the bar.

Just after the restart, the home side conceded a needless free kick, Sinclair touching the ball back to Maxwell in the penalty after an Ashton mis-kick, but fortunately Vincent Weuil drove his effort inches too high and as Liverpool stepped up the pace, Maxwell saved well from Fernandez.

But Wrexham were still causing problems of their own, the impressive Knight-Percival earning a corner when he attacked an Ashton cross and Mangan seeing his free kick deflected behind off Emmanuel Mendy.

The Wrexham striker, who had been given little time or space in and around the penalty area, failed to surprise keeper Dean Bouzanis with a first-time volley from 25 yards, but it was indicative of his eye for the chance, however slim.

With the introduction of a number of substitutes from both benches, the game lost some of its rhythm, although Gall might have done better with his cross after Christian Smith, who had replaced Sinclair at the back, picked the winger out with a 60-yard crossfield pass.

Hardly overworked, Bouzanis nevertheless had to be sharp to deny Mangan when substitute Matt McGoveron under-hit a back pass and Saunders would have been pleased to see the Dragons closing out the match on the front foot.